Thermoplastic materials are well known in the art. They are used in many applications, especially in forming articles that require shaping carried out under high temperatures and pressures. The processing of the thermoplastic materials generally involves injection molding, extruding, calendering or rolling. Because of the temperature at which these processes typically operate under, thermal degradation of the thermoplastic polymer is a significant concern.
Lignin is a naturally occurring polymer that exhibits no measureable melting point, but rather upon exposure to elevated temperatures of greater than 120° C. undergoes thermal decomposition. For that reason, its application as a thermoplastic material has been significantly limited with its most commercial use found in asphalt.
With significant cost pressures on petroleum-based thermoplastics and an increasing public demand for its substitution with non-petrochemical based materials that are renewable there is a increasing need for lignothermoplastic materials in the marketplace.